Global Security: challenges and opportunities

Security issues are high on the modern agenda. But how do we define security? Dr Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will give a public lecture at LSE on Monday 19 February.

Dr ElBaradei will challenge his audience to re-examine security in a broader context - one that adds energy security and human security (security based on the rights of the individual) to traditional concepts of security based on military confrontation or economic superiority. Within this expanded view of global security, he will couch the nuclear issues relevant to the IAEA's mandate: preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, reducing existing nuclear stockpiles, and making the humanitarian benefits of nuclear technology available to all countries.

Dr Mohamed ElBaradei is the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an intergovernmental organisation that is part of the United Nations system. He was appointed to the office effective 1 December 1997, and reappointed to a third term in September 2005.

In October 2005, Dr ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 'for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.' In its citation, the Norwegian Nobel Committee referred to the IAEA´s work as being of 'incalculable importance', and referred to Dr ElBaradei as an 'unafraid advocate' of new measures to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Press tickets: To request a press ticket, please contact Jessica Winterstein, LSE Press Office, on 020 7955 7060 or email j.winterstein@lse.ac.uk. Please note that tickets are limited and will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis.

Press cuttings

Daily TelegraphUS protest at Iran remark by nuclear watchdog (24 May 07)
In a lecture at the London School of Economics in February, Mohammed ElBaradei said: 'They are told nuclear weapons are counter-productive because they do not protect your security. But when they look to the big boys, what do they see? They see increasing reliance on nuclear weapons for security, they see nuclear weapons being continually modernised.' Mr ElBaradei said that Britain could not 'modernise its Trident submarines and then tell everyone else that nuclear weapons are not needed in the future'.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/wiaea24.xml|

Daily Telegraph
UN nuclear watchdog: Trident is hypocritical (20 Feb 07)
Britain cannot expect other countries to refrain from acquiring nuclear weapons if it upgrades the Trident deterrent, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday. Mohammed ElBaradei, who has led the United Nations' nuclear watchdog for 10 years, said 'They are told nuclear weapons are counter-productive because they do not protect your security,' in a lecture at the London School of Economics.

Jerusalem PostElBaradei: Still time to talk to Iran on nukes (20 Feb 07)
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1171894469191&pagename
=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

ReutersSanctions alone won't resolve Iran dispute - IAEA (19 Feb 07)
Western powers need to reassure Iran over its security rather than just ratchet up sanctions if they want to resolve a nuclear standoff, International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei said on Monday.

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